March 17, 2015

Journalists must get facts straight on hunting

Last week in Parliament I asked if the Conservatives plan to repeal the Hunting Act. The Minister confirmed that she wanted to bring back the cruel practice of hunting with dogs.

Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab): What her policy is on repeal of the Hunting Act 2004.

The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss): My support for fox hunting is well known. The Hunting Act was a mistake, and I strongly support repeal. Acknowledging the strong views on both sides of this debate, I am pleased that the Prime Minister has said that a Conservative Government will give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote with a Government Bill in Government time.

Paul Flynn: Despite Tory hysteria, the Hunting Act did not reduce the pageantry of hunting or result in the mass slaughter of horses or hounds. What it did do was reduce greatly the sadistic torment of the chase and the kill. Is the nasty party really going to campaign in the election to bring cruelty back into hunting?

The Green MP, Caroline Lucas, followed up by asking why, instead of seeking to repeal the Act, the Government isn’t looking to extend it to cover more activities.

Caroline Lucas (Brighton, Pavilion) (Green): Why will the Secretary of State not recognise the huge opposition to the idea of repealing the Hunting Act? Instead of proposing yet more cruelty to animals, why will she not look at extending the Act to grouse shooting and hare coursing, which also are cruel and hugely opposed in this country?

Elizabeth Truss: Our approach is that we will introduce a Government Bill in Government time to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote.

This was reported in the Independent on Friday 13 March under the headline ‘Don’t repeal the fox hunting ban – extend it to other cruel sports, urges Green MP Caroline Lucas.’

But hare coursing is already illegal, under Section 5 of the Hunting Act. Journalists must ensure that they get their facts straight on such an important topic to voters.

"The Minister confirmed that she wanted to bring back the cruel practice of hunting with dogs."

Is that what she said? She wants to bring back the "cruel" practice, or is that despite the devious and volatile way the Labour party brought in the act wild animals have received no better treatment and in some cases probably worse, on top of that I am curious how you qualify to have an opinion on such a matter? What do you know about our semi wild environment?

Have you ever harvested your own meat?

or are you trying to drum up support from the overly emotional narrow minded public who don't know any better before the election?

I believe the latter because any body who knows anything about our natural environment knows we as humans are the only large predators left on this island, I am a working man, never voted but the more I hear about labour the more I am going to vote conservative.